How can a handful of gems seem so melancholy? Why does this puzzle game instill sadness when there's no story, no characters and no real conflict to speak of? There's hardly any intensity in its falling columns, but yet, it still manages to be emotionally moving.

I'm playing the portable version of Columns - the Game Gear version, to be specific. Columns was SEGA's answer to Tetris, released first in the arcades before they ported it to practically every SEGA hardware platform available at the time. Instead of organizing differently shaped blocks, you're dealing with columns that contain three multi-colored gems as they fall down a rectangular grid. In order to keep the grid clean, you must match three gems of the same color horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. However, instead of changing the alignment of the column itself like you would with Tetris, you shuffle the gems' order in the column, shifting them from the top, middle or bottom of the column. While the game's reliance on matching colors instead of positioning shapes has the player at a distinct disadvantage over Tetris's more intuitive geometrical puzzlement, Columns feels a bit more thoughtful, a bit more patient.

The game's mechanics are pleasantly addictive enough, but after a handful of sessions with the Game Gear edition I found myself more surprised by the artistry of the game's background music. Due to the system's hardware limitations, the three original soundtracks (named Clotho, Lathesis and Atropos, after the Greek Fates) have been pared down from the Genesis' faux-organ orchestrations and assembled into arrangements that are more compatible with the handheld's capabilities. This works surprisingly well for the pieces, especially the default track, Clotho. Instead of the chinsey, hokey reverberations of the Genesis version, the Game Gear's score (as well as the almost-identical Sega Master System soundtrack) resonates with chirpy but languid tones. Clotho never rushes, it keeps a slow and steady pace, even occasionally pauses wistfully for a handful of beats. The track comes across as spirited, but sad, and sets a melancholic tone that I'm not accustomed to with my puzzle games (you can hear for yourself by downloading a sample).

While the music may make me slightly despondent, it's the game's background imagery that seals the deal. Instead of utilizing the standard generic clay block background of the arcade & Genesis version, the Game Gear version opts for something a bit more scenic: the backdrop for the introductory level simply details a washed out sky and the grey rooftops of a densely populated town. As the levels progress, the sky gets darker and a crescent moon comes into view. By the ninth and final level the moon has become full, the town is blanketed in shadow and stars litter the sky. You'll never advance further than this level; the sun here will never rise again, but the columns will continue their freefall while the solemn soundtrack loops over and over in the background.

These backdrop changes are subtle, especially when stretched between all nine levels, but the moment I noticed that day had become night I found myself slightly stunned. This happened to occur at the same moment that Clotho had progressed to a new movement, a multi-layered and more nuanced, but still somber, section of the piece, and I found myself moved by the coupling of these sad visual and aural vignettes. Admittedly this sudden shift in attention away from the game's pieces to its background visuals and soundtrack nearly caused me to fumble and lose my current game, but I wouldn't trade that moment for the largest combo-chain in the world.

This is a perfect example of how art and sound design can impact any game and make it a richer experience, even a simple block-oriented puzzler such as Columns. Sure, the Sega Master System version of Columns may allow you to drop gems in flashier fields like a racetrack or starfield, and the Genesis version may be glossier, have more colors and larger pieces, but neither version are as provoking as this portable edition. Despite its lack of a story or any characters, thanks to some creative audio and visual work this game manages to pique emotional interest besides frustration and anger at a poorly placed swath of gems.